1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lock structure for an automatic shift lever of a car, which comprises a lever lock, an axle tube, a sheath and a limiting block, and is capable of automatically limiting the positions of a push button and a control link, while in a locked state. The control link cannot be pressed or moved by any exterior force.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Theft-proof devices for automobiles presently in the market are divided into three kinds, theft-proof bells, steering wheel locks, and shift lever locks. We hereby discuss the principles and disadvantage thereof:
1) a theft-proof bell uses a balancing principle to allow the switch of a buzzer to be turned on for scaring away a thief; however, if a passenger inadvertently touches the car body, or even when vibration is effected by a car passing by, the bell will make a loud noise, which can break the quiet and peaceful mood of people. The theft-proof bell is operated by the battery of the car, so that the car is subjected to electricity leakage when parking. PA1 2) a steering wheel lock provides a lock head in the middle of a bar to lock on the surface of the steering wheel, with the two ends of the bar abutting against both sides of a space in the car, so as to limit the steering wheel rotation; alternatively, an extendible hooking bar can be used to lock the steering wheel by locking of the lock head with one end of the bar hooking the steering wheel and the other end hooking the pedal of the accelerator. However, this is bothersome to use, and some drivers hate to use the steering wheel lock when parking. The theft of a car often happens in such a short parking time. PA1 3) a shift lever lock provides a lock head at one side of the seat for the shift lever, with a pivotally connecting hole on the lock head facing the shift lever and engaged by a U shaped locking hook to lock the shift lever and thus prevent the same from moving. However, when the lock is opened or closed, a driver must turn his body to insert a key into the lock hole with one hand, and to draw away or engage the lock head from/with the U shaped locking hook. This is quite inconvenient to operate with two ha a narrow space in a car.
In view of the above stated disadvantage on a conventional theft-proof car lock, the inventor of the present invention has developed a lock structure for an automatic shift lever of a car, which operates on the principle that deviation of a stop piece on a lever lock stops a control link, thus rendering a control button immovable. Therefore, in turn, the shift control lever is not able to move. The object of locking can thus be achieved, and with this, the disadvantage of inconvenience in operation and in assembling the conventional U shaped locking hook and lock head used for locking the shift lever can be eliminated. However, it can be seen from FIG. 10, when a shift control lever 4' is pressed down in a normal shifting action, a limiting rod 41' extending sidewardly on the bottom end thereof will move downwardly to be free from the limitation of a guiding groove 51' on a guiding plate 5', so that the shift lever 6' can be moved forwardly and backwardly freely, i.e., so long as the limiting rod 41' is free from limitation of the guiding groove 51', the shift lever 6' can be moved; in other words, if a thief is familiar with the way of locking of the invention and the principle of operation of the automatic shift lever, he can then use an iron sheet to insert into the gap between the shift lever 6' and the seat 61' for the shift lever 6', to twist and press the same, as long as it presses the limiting rod 41' to move down the shift control lever 4', the shift lever 6' can be shifted, in this way, the lock structure will be of no use. The way to open it is not so easy for a thief to know, because he must know well the way of locking as well as the structure of a car.